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Cerulean Storm, The (novel)
Summary Plot In the Hollow, Rajaat is informed by a Shadow Giant that Tithian is going to complete his end of the deal to release him. Rajaat dictates that he will grant Tithian the power of a Sorcerer-King if he holds up his end of the deal. He also goes on to list that he would like to kill the half-races(e.g. muls, half-elves, etc...) first then the new races. Part of how he is to return to the material plane requires the Sorcerer-Kings to be near the Dark Lens. In Samarah, Tithian finds that the Balican Fleet is coming towards him. The Sorcerer-Kings and Borys had intercepted his message that Agis would meet Sadira and Rikus at this location. In order to cover his traces he uses the Dark Lens to kill everyone in the village as to stop any interrogation of their minds and hides in the village's well. In Tyr, Rikus and Magnus are distracted when the Joorsh giants attack the farmlands near the city. They are looking for the Obsidian Oracle, but Rikus realize it is the Dark Lens. Sadira teleports into the fray and holds off the giants with a spell, but it won't last passed sunset. In the Senate chambers the Tyrian politicians vote whether to give Rikus and Sadira a legion to help defeat the Dragon. The legion is to bring about the Dwarven prophecy(Created by Tithian) that Rkard , Neeva's son, would unite both races and lead a legion of Dwarves and Humans to kill the Dragon. When Sadira shows Wyan as proof that Tithian has been using Slavers to pay the Dragon's Levy the severed head summons a Shadow Giant to kill the politicians opposed to forming the legion. Sadira manages to save everyone before it's too late, but the damage is done. They are given the legion through threats and violence. On their way to deal with the Giants before leaving Tyr; Rikus, Sadira, Neeva, Caelum, Rkard, and the rest of the legion are slowed when the bridge of Cloud Road is destroyed. Its soon apparent that the Wraiths from Borys's Citadel are to blame. The wraiths attack via a possessed trader and his inixes. During the fight Sadira is knocked unconcious and the Scourge of Rkard is damaged by the touch of the Gray. In Sadira's mind she is drawn to the Gray by the wraiths. She uses her powers to destroy the gemstones containing the life force of the wraiths. One wraith barters for her to stop by showing her Agis. The way it did so betrayed that Agis is dead. She finds herself brought back to the material plane by Magnus's singing. Rikus and the rest of the group meet up with the giants. Initially they are able to convince theIr leader Patch that Jo'orsh and Sa'ram told them that the Obsidian Oracle should be used to kill Borys. When Rikus mentions that Agis has the Dark Lens in Samarah, Patch attacks them saying that they are liars and that Agis died in the Bay of Woe. The fighting starts up with the group separating. After a time the group is able to kill Patch, but the Scourge of Rkard is broken into two pieces. Caelum tries to stop the blade from bleeding black sludge. He is successful, but his hand forms a black scaled covered mouth on its palm. It keeps saying release me when it is uncovered. Rkard corners one of the giants. When the giant pleads for the Dark Lens, Rkard says he'll let the giants have it when he is done. When the giant says he has to return it or else the giants will become dumb, Jo'orsh and Sa'ram appear telling the giants to forget about the Dark Lens. That the giants have been misusing it for too long and need to learn to live without it as a crutch. After Neeva, Caelum, and Rkard finish their morning ritual Sadira awakens. She tells the group about Agis's death and confronts Wyan. When the severed head admits that he lied and Tithian allowed Agis to die so he could get the Dark Lens Sadira slices him with the broken Scourge of Rkard. Rikus gifts Rkard with a piece of the Scourge when he realizes it is growing back. Sadira heals Caelum's hand by removing the visage of Rajaat in his hand. In the desert, Templars of Raam and Sorcerer-Queen Abalach-Re attack the group. During the fighting it is revealed the Sorcerer Queen is after Sa'ram and Jo'orsh, who appear when she attacks Rkard. The mul child stabs her with the shard of the Scourge causing it to spew black ooze. The ooze touches Sa'ram forms into Rajaat, revealing that the sword has part of his essence inside it. Sadira twists the blade causing Abalach-Re to die. Sa'ram's body is eaten away by the ooze leaving a black pool of the liquid. Jo'orsh reveals that Sa'ram is dead and that the Rajaat image was from the Black, but not real. At Samarah, Sadira and Rikus discuss how the Dark Lens's location might not be magically protected now that one of the Dwarven Knights is dead. The village is deserted and their scouts had died near the well. While the heroes investigate their legion cries out in horror, the Dragon sucking up their life force instantly. In the end all, but Sadira, Rikus, Neeva, Magnus, Caelum, and Rkard are left. Neeva, Sadira, and Rikus go to face the Dragon. Magnus realizes too late that an invisible Dragon is actually in the village. Borys takes Rkard and Magnus, knocking Caelum unconscious. By the time the rest of the group find the dwarf, the Dragon has fled to Ur Draxa. Rikus finds Sacha and Tithian in the well feeding on the blood of the Tyrian scouts that went ahead. Using a silt schooner the group follows Jo'orsh, who is leading them to Rkard and Ur Draxa. Tithian reveals most of his plan to the group, except that he fabricated the prophecy that Rkard will kill Borys. At night Tithian uses his psionic powers to sail the schooner and in the morning Sadira uses her magic to make it fly. The Balican fleet soon gets close forcing the group to hide while Jo'orsh goes on ahead. In Borys's clutches Rkard tries to free himself. Jo'orsh tries to barter for Rkard's life offering up the Dark Lens if he is released. Borys's Spirit Lords grab the Dwarven Banshee and extract its location, destroying Jo'orsh in the process. Borys tells his Lords to attack the group immediately even though the sun will rise as if they delay they could lose the location. The Spirit Lords are easily cut down by the group who then steal one of their bigger Silt Cutters. On the shore line the group manage to find Borys with Rkard at the Gate of Doom. Caelum is killed by Borys with the Way. Borys retreats through the Gate with Neeva holding onto his leg with her axe, Sadira following after them. When Tithian tries to use the gate, several Sorcerer Kings appear from it. Hamanu, Nibenay, Lalali-Puy, and Tectuktitlay arrive to keep Rikus busy. Hamanu is revealed to have not been an original champion which makes him immune to the effects of the Scourge of Rkard. Sacha summons the Shadow Giant, Khidar, to block the Gate of Doom and transport himself, Rikus and Tithian to Borys. After Neeva shatters the Obsidian Orbs inside Borys's stomach she is badly injured. The Rkard reveals that Jo'orsh said Rkard chose his destiny to kill Borys even though he didn't and that the Belt of Rank and Crown of Rkard given to him were artifacts that were stolen from Kled within the last two years by Tithian's slavers. Sadira correctly guesses that Tithian fabricated the prophecy. Borys begins to draw energy from the plant life under the valley's sands to heal himself. Sadira makes a sphere of darkness around Borys's head. Rikus and Tithian are transported through the Black by Khidar and arrive beneath Borys. Tricking Borys into a crater the group recognizes that the Scourge of Rkard's black ooze that it releases when it breaks can be used to kill the Dragon. Sadira uses her magic to weaken the Scourge and slams it against the Dark Lens which weakens it even further. During the fighting Tithian flies off towards Ur Draxa with the Dark Lens. Rikus feigns incompetence to get the Dragon's attention and then breaks the sword into Borys's face. The black ooze engulfs him turning the crater into a Black Pond with his skeletal remains in the center. Neeva and Rkard are told to stay behind as Rikus and Sadira complete everything. The Sorcerer-Kings approach Sadira and Rikus and inform them about Rajaat. How the First Sorcerer created the Champions of Rajaat to restart a second Blue Age. When the Champions discovered that Halflings and not Humans would be the only race in that world they rebelled. In Ur Draxa, Tithian releases Rajaat while the Shadow Giants, now transforming into Halfling Shadow hybrids, start kiling the Draxan citizens and slaves. Rajaat uses his powers over water to flood the immediate area and uses clouds and rainstorms as armor. His size grows from that of an Elf to taller than a giant. As Sadira and Rikus attack the newly released Rajaat who brings water wherever he walks and turns the Sun blue. When the Sorcerer-Kings arrive to banish Rajaat back to the Hollow they send Rikus and Tithian with him. The prison took on the form of giant black sphere. It becomes apparent that Rajaat hid himself inside his shadow avoiding the attack completely and then attacking the Sorcerer Kings. Using his powers he banishes Andropinis and then crushes Tectuktitlay by dropping the Dark Lens on top of him. When Rajaat threatens Nibenay with 1000 years of torment Sadira steals the Dark Lens, but is knocked into the giant black sphere holding Tithian and Rikus. There is an explosion similar to when Rajaat was released. Rikus and Tithian dodge Halfling Shadow people attacks as they are swept up into Rajaat's wake as he goes after Sadira. Where Sadira left Neeva and Rkard, the Sorceress informs Rkard that the only way they can hope to defeat Rajaat is to trap his shadow using Rkard's Sun Magic. This is due to Rajaat's shadow acting counter to reality, instead of his body casting a shadow his shadow casts his body. By destroying or capturing the shadow the body will hypothetically disappear. During the initial fight Tithian falls from Rajaat's waters and attacks Neeva. Rikus manages to direct Neeva enough to fend of the King of Tyr. Tithian ran to Rkard and the Dark Lens. Tithian is melted into nothing by the Dark Lens when he casts his fire spell engulfing Rajaat's shadow. Sadira uses her magic to boost the spell melting Rajaat's body, but not killing him. With nothing left of Rajaat the storms making up his body create rain in the area and the sun returns to its dark red. Sadira and Rikus meet with Nibenay, Lalali-Puy, and Hamanu to destroy the Dark Lens. Tithian, now trapped within the storm created by Rajaat's death pleads for them to use the Dark Lens to release or kill him. Thinking it better that there be a rain storm the Sorcerer-Kings, Sadira, and Rikus leave Tithian imprisoned and destroy the Dark Lens. Neeva and Rkard accept Rikus's invitation to live with him in Tyr. Sadira stays behind and makes sure that Rajaat's new prison holds, she says she will return soon once the enchantments are in place. Characters Heroes * Sadira * Rikus * Neeva * Caelum (Killed) * Rkard * Magnus (Killed) Villains * Tithian (Imprisoned) - Melted by the Dark Lens then imprisoned into the Cerulean Storm. * Wyan (Killed) - Is killed by Sadira after she finds out he lied to her about Agis's fate. * Borys (Killed) * Rajaat (Imprisoned) * Patch (Killed) - Male Joorsh Giant from the Sea of Silt. His objective was to find the Obsidian Oracle that was stolen by Tithian. * Khidar (Killed) - Chief of the Shadow Giants / People. Rikus ripped his halfling head off of his shadow body. Sorcerer-Kings * Andropinis (Banished) * Nibenay (Sorcerer-King) * Hamanu * Abalach-Re (Killed) * Tectuktitlay (Killed) * Lalali-Puy Spirit Lords Borys's personal honor guard. * Lord Warrior - An undead humanoid with chitinous armor. * Lord Vizier - An undead humanoid with a beak. * Lady Bliss - An undead humanoid with nail like nails. * Lord Mariner Locations * The Hollow * Samarah * Tyr **Pauper's Hope **Rasda's Wall * The Valley of Dust and Fire ** Gate of Doom * Ur Draxa Category:Novel Category:Works by Troy Denning